Emerging viruses in Africa: Molecular identification and characterisation of rodent-, shrew-, and bat-borne hantaviruses and assessment of their public health potential

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Hantaviruses, members of the family Bunyaviridae, are emerging viruses causing two life-threatening human zoonoses; hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. The viruses are transmitted from animal reservoirs to humans.Our previous achievements led to the discovery of hantaviruses in rodent, shrew, and, particularly, bat reservoirs (Sangassou, Tanganya, Magboi, Makokou, Ponan, and Lompole virus) and to the evidence for human infections and occurrence of hantavirus disease in Africa.In the concluding project period, a consortium of virologists, zoologists, epidemiologists, and physicians from Africa and Germany will determine the biodiversity of hantaviruses and further zoonotic viruses in small mammalian reservoirs, particularly bats, in different Sub-Saharan African countries. Both the geographical distribution of these animal reservoirs according to ecological and climatic characteristics and the virus dynamics within the host population will be investigated. The animal sampling will be extended to those biomes that are so far under-represented. Attempts will be made to molecularly characterise newfound viruses. Biological and genetic properties of cell culture isolates will be analysed in order to assess their relevance for human health and to infer molecular evolution of hantaviruses in their natural hosts. Currently developed specific diagnostic approaches covering all hantavirus phylogroups will be used to identify human infections by the new African hantaviruses.In different African countries, we will implement the clinical case definition of hantavirus disease and set up diagnostic tools in regional hospitals, as currently done in Guinea. Moreover, a surveillance system for hantavirus infections based on serological evaluation of patients with fever of unknown origin from sentinel hospitals will be established. This continued effort will result in capacity building for the diagnosis and characterisation of hantaviruses and other emerging viruses in African laboratories and in the development of virus-diagnostic and public health expertise for the control of zoonotic infections. Young African scientist will be trained in zoological field studies, molecular biology including phylogenetics, and medical virology.